Tea and Biscuits
by LilyHeartsJames
Summary: Lily was just having another ordinary summer when Sirius Black casually strode into the Evans' home as though he'd been living there for years. LE/SB friendship and LE/JP summer lovin'.
1. Chapter 1

**Tea and Biscuits**

**Disclaimer: **_JK Rowling owns the rights to the Harry Potter universe, including characters and any other information you recognise._

**Dedication: **_To the reviewers of _'Of Potter and Evans'_, you guys are truly, truly amazing. Sorry if I haven't gotten back to any of you personally, it was my full intention to however I got very busy with studies and obviously writing this. But I still appreciate the time you took to read and review it, they all made my day. Each review inspired me to continue, so give yourself a pat on the back and a bowl of cookies and cream ice cream._

**OKAY SO THIS IS AN EXTREMELY IMPORTANT NOTE**

At the moment I'm chopping the story up so that there are more chapters and they aren't as long. It's going to work out better this way, trust me. I'm also editing it and fixing it up, so hopefully the grammatical errors will be improved. At this rate, after the first draft has been edited and chopped into different chapters, I will hope to have a brand new chapter out very soon. So hopefully you all enjoyed this story enough to continue reading.

And thanks an insane amount to everyone who reviewed and put this on their favourites and alerts lists, you're all awesome! I'm sure I responded to everyone, but just in case I got preoccupied, then here's your response.

* * *

It was another unbearably humid day as Lily Evans sat at the kitchen counter fanning her bright red face with the latest edition of _Witch Weekly _when her mother entered the kitchen carrying a small, dusty fan with her. The cord dragged along the white tiles and she hoisted it up onto the bench with a triumphant sigh.

"This should make things cooler, sweetheart" the older woman said as she connected the plug into the wall and switched it on. The blades began to rotate slowly at first before picking up speed and spinning in a blur, warm air blowing out at them.

Lily coughed and waved the magazine in the direction of the fan and pushed herself back.

"Perhaps I should have wiped down the dust first," her mother muttered with a sheepish expression upon her face and her daughter laughed as she moved away from the counter and poured herself a cold glass of water.

Mrs. Evans switched off the fan and grabbed a tea towel from one of the drawers while she waited for the blades to come to a standstill, and accepted a glass of water from Lily. She gulped it down with a satisfied sigh and smacked her lips before setting to work and rubbed at the specks of dust.

Lily sighed as she leaned back against the kitchen sink and moodily pushed away the stray strands of hair that clung to her face. She was silent for a moment until a sudden thought sprang to mind.

"Why don't we go with Petunia to have dinner at Vernon's?"

Her mother straightened up instantly and turned to look at her with an incredulous look upon her face.

"Who are you and what have you done with Lillian Marie Evans?"

Lily rolled her emerald green eyes and shrugged.

"As much as I loathe the man, he has air conditioning," she explained and her mother smiled fondly and shook her head as she turned back to rub the last blade.

"Sorry sweetheart, but I already have dinner planned. And I think Petunia said that tonight was something special."

Lily tilted her head curiously.

"What are they celebrating?"

Mrs. Evans sighed as she stepped back and tossed the tea towel over her daughter's head into the basket by the door. She flicked the switch of the fan once more and it began to blow out warm air, fortunately without the dust.

"Oh, well it's been about four years since they started dating," Mrs. Evans responded.

Lily smiled as she made her way over and sat back down at the counter, enjoying the somewhat cool air now emanating from the fan.

"Four years? Wow, I didn't realise it was that long… Do you think he'll, you know-"

"Propose?"

Lily shrugged, turning to see her mother's anxious reaction.

"Well they have been together a while, and Tuney is always staying with him; I've hardly seen her this summer," Lily replied and had another sip of her drink.

Mrs. Evans frowned, looking thoughtful.

"Who knows? I mean, surely its set to be on the cards at some point, right?"

Lily grinned and pushed her loose strands of hair back once more.

"I look forward to the days of combined Christmases with the Dursley's," she said with a hint of sarcasm.

Mrs. Evans opened her mouth to the respond when there was a light knock coming from the front door and she closed her mouth and rose to her feet.

"Be nice," she warned as she departed from the kitchen and Lily chuckled and pulled lightly at the soft yellow singlet that was clinging to her body. She groaned as she leant against the counter and let the cool air blow over her sweating body.

"She's right through here," Mrs. Evans could be heard saying from the hallway.

Lily lifted her head curiously and turned to see who was entering the kitchen behind her mother and almost slipped off the chair when she met a pair of mischievous dark grey eyes.

Sirius Black strolled into the room, portraying an air of elegance as his sleek, shoulder length black hair caught the light in the kitchen. His charming smile widened as he noticed Lily sitting there gaping at him.

"Hello, Evans," he greeted as he made his way over to her and Lily said nothing, just stared.

Her mother nudged her and the redhead cleared her throat.

"Sirius! What a er… surprise," she said with a polite smile and Sirius grinned handsomely as she gestured to a seat. He strode around the counter and sat on the stool and sighed.

"Lovely house you have here," he remarked, nodding at Mrs. Evans who blushed. "It has a nice home-like feel to it."

Lily smiled as Sirius continued to glance around the kitchen with interest.

"Mum, this is Sirius. I don't know if he mentioned, but he-"

"Goes to school with you? Yes he did," her mother finished and Sirius winked in her direction.

There was a long, awkward silence about the room then and Lily chewed on her fingernails as Sirius continued observing the room and her mother looked from one to the other.

"I think I'm going to go put some washing on," she said standing and grabbing the basket by the door on the way out. The silence continued until Lily finally snapped.

"What are you doing here?"

Sirius' eyes locked on hers and he smirked.

"Sitting in your kitchen, and yourself?"

She narrowed her eyes dangerously and he cleared his throat.

"I don't see the harm in a friendly visit," he said and she raised an eyebrow at him.

"I wouldn't exactly call us 'friends', Sirius."

He feigned a hurt expression and placed a delicate hand over his chest theatrically.

"How rude of you, I have come all this way to see you and this is what I get in return?"

She sighed and rubbed her temple wearily.

"I'm not in the mood, Black. It's sweltering in here. Why are you at my house?"

He ignored her and turned to look out at the street through the window above the sink.

"Is it always this deserted?" he asked and she rolled her eyes.

"Not usually."

The corner of his mouth twitched. "Fascinating," he murmured.

"Would you like something to drink? Water or tea perhaps?"

He smiled genuinely and nodded. "Tea, thank you."

Lily bustled over to the kettle and set about making the tea while Sirius got up from his seat and made his way over to the portrait of a house beside the door leading outside. He slid his hands into his pockets and stared at the painting, tilting his head to get another perspective.

"Is this your house?" he asked after examining it and she glanced up from the cups and nodded.

"My sister, Petunia, made it a couple of years ago," she explained and he smiled, turning back to face her.

"She's talented."

"That she is. She's a few years older than me."

"Is she much like you?"

Lily shrugged, keeping her eyes on the task at hand.

"Not really, we're quite different. She looks more like our mother," she said and lifted a glass jar. "Sugar?"

He nodded. "Please," he said walking back over to the counter as she set a steaming cup of tea on a coaster in front of him. "Thanks, Evans."

She smiled as she sat back down and added sugar when he was done with it. Instead of lifting her tea to her lips, she watched him curiously.

"How are you?"

He shrugged, sipping his beverage and replacing it back onto the coaster.

"Fine. I moved into a flat of my own a few weeks ago," he told her and faked a smile. "It's grand."

She raised an inquisitive eyebrow.

"Are you lonely, Sirius?"

He let out a bark like laugh and shook his head. "God, no. I have my own space. It's hard to come by at Hogwarts with Ja…" he trailed of and drank some of his tea and Lily nodded understandably. She lifted her cup to her lips and sipped it.

"Have you heard from anyone?"

He gave a sad smile and shook his head. "Not really, you?"

She shrugged. "The occasional letter from Mary, and Marlene wrote a few times. Oh, and I wrote Remus once or twice but he didn't respond. He probably just wants some space of his own too."

Sirius nodded and cleared his throat awkwardly.

"And Pr-James?"

She glanced upwards and nodded. "Once. Would you like a biscuit?"

He nodded and Lily pulled a large jar over and opened the lid, offering it to him. She stood up and got a plate from the cupboard and placed a few biscuits on it before closing the lid and pushing it back against the wall.

"What will you do with your flat when we go back to Hogwarts?"

Sirius didn't reply for a moment and took a bite from his biscuit, averting his eyes as he did.

"You are going back, aren't you?" she asked leaning forwards on her crossed arms and he shrugged, still not meeting her gaze.

"I don't know. I was thinking about maybe getting some work and then figuring it out from there."

She sighed and shook her head.

"Hogwarts won't be the same without you, you know."

He rolled his eyes.

"It's just a castle, Lily."

She raised her eyebrows.

"Really, Sirius? Even I know it was always more than that. It's your home."

He sighed, running his fingers through his hair and letting it fall around his face in smooth curtains.

"What's the point? I'm a screw up."

"_You are most definitely not!"_

He glanced up at her in surprise.

"Listen," she said in a calm tone. "I know we aren't exactly friends, but we do get along… When you're not hexing innocent first years, that is. I also know that no matter what happened last term, you're not a screw up. You're _Sirius Black_. That's got to stand for something!"

He chuckled darkly.

"Exactly, Lily. _Black_. I'm a Black, true to form."

She shook her head.

"You're not like your family, Sirius. You're a good person."

He snorted and sipped his tea.

"I don't know what rock you've been living under, but in case you've forgotten, I tried to kill your best mate. Good people don't do that."

She shrugged.

"You didn't though, and I don't think you were really aiming to do that, were you? It was a prank. A _stupid_ prank."

He smiled sourly, meeting her eyes.

"I appreciate the effort, Evans, but you don't have to sugar coat it. He could have died, and the only reason he didn't was because James had the balls to save him."

"Speaking of sugar, have another biscuit," she said pushing the plate over towards him and he grinned and shook his head, reaching for a biscuit.

"Anyway, I didn't come here to talk about me. How's your summer?"

She tucked her hair behind her ear and crossed her arms nervously.

"I don't know if you've heard, you were probably busy with the whole prank-gone-wrong fiasco, but Severus and I are no longer friends."

Sirius raised his eyebrows and chewed on his biscuit thoughtfully.

"Again?"

She sighed, twiddling her thumbs.

"I caught him hexing a group of second years with his 'mates'. It was a week after you-know-what."

"And that's it? You called it quits?"

"They were all Muggleborns," she said with a slight edge to her tone and Sirius winced.

"I'm sorry."

"Are you?"

He shook his head.

"Not really. A little bit, but only because I know how it feels to be disconnected from your best friend. And it's about time you realised he's not the same kid from the park."

She frowned.

"How do you know so much?"

He grinned and took another biscuit.

"I have my ways. Now tell me, has he been to visit at all this summer?"

She shook her head solemnly.

"Not at all. After the OWLs incident he wouldn't stop coming to see me during the holidays, I couldn't get rid of him. Now it's like he doesn't care."

Sirius gulped down the rest of his tea.

"Do you honestly think that?"

She smiled and shook her head.

"I think he cares, he just has a horrible way of showing it. He's caught up in this whole Death Eater fantasy and it seems like he just can't get a grip on what's right and what's wrong. Eventually we had to acknowledge that we're drifting apart and that ultimately, we're on two completely different sides."

She picked up a biscuit and bit into it and he watched her for a moment before saying, "maybe it's for the best."

"And you and Potter? Do you think that's for the best?"

He was silent for a moment, his eyes appearing slightly unfocused and she waited patiently for him to respond.

"Sometimes, yeah," he said quietly and she patted his hand kindly.

"They'll forgive you, you know. They all will. You're the Marauders; it's all for one and one for all isn't it?"

A confused expression crossed his face as he looked up at her.

"What?"

She smiled, shaking her head and laughing quietly to herself.

"Nothing. But Remus, Peter and James, they will forgive you. It's just going to take time, that's all."

He shrugged, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I'll live. Besides, it's not like I don't deserve it. They have every right to be pissed off at me, especially Remus. What I did… It wasn't okay. And I realise that now."

There was a pause, then "why did you do it?"

"I overheard him talking to Regulus, my-"

"Brother, I know. Go on."

Sirius scratched his head. "Snape was trying to convince him that he should really consider joining Voldemort; said there was most likely a spot reserved for him when he finished school, if he was serious about it. He told him it would re-establish the Black family reputation."

Lily let out a soft groan. "Idiot," she murmured.

Sirius nodded.

"He said he would think about it."

"He was with Snape when they were torturing those Muggleborns," she closed her eyes. "I'm sorry Sirius," she whispered re-opening her eyes and he shrugged, reaching for yet another biscuit.

"He's chosen his way by the looks of it and I've chosen mine. Sort of like you and Snape, huh?"

She watched him closely for a moment and said, "You hoped he wouldn't."

"As did you, I'm sure."

She shook her head sadly.

"How on _earth_ did we get here? Moaning about our _bitter_ lives?"

Sirius grinned, noting the dramatic tone.

"Well, I tried to murder your now ex-best friend and then you offered me tea."

She sighed, flicking a biscuit crumb at him.

"I still don't believe you intended to. Clearly, you weren't thinking."

He shrugged his shoulders and glanced at the portrait of the house. "I wasn't really. I was angry, although it's no excuse. When I'd calmed down and realised what I'd done it was almost too late. I told James and he took off."

There was silence.

"He got there just in time. Bless him."

"He'll come around, I know it. He's a very loyal person, James is."

Sirius tilted his head to the side.

"He's not all bad, you know. He's a good guy, a great friend."

Lily blushed slightly, and tucked her loose strands of hair back behind her ear once more.

"I know that, he just doesn't always show it. Especially when-"

"You're around," Sirius finished and she nodded. "He likes you. He might show off a bit and drive you mental, but he only does it because he fancies you."

She sighed.

"Was this the real reason you came here today? To be your ex best mate's wing man?"

Sirius chuckled and leaned back from the table.

"Perhaps. And like you said, I am awfully lonely."

"I see, and so you thought you'd bug me?"

He smirked.

"Don't pretend you haven't enjoyed my company, Evans. You fretted when I told you I might not return."

She poked her tongue out childishly and said, "And I really think you're making a mistake."

He shrugged it off.

"I haven't decided yet. But none the less, I think you should get to know James a great deal more."

Lily rolled her eyes and picked up a biscuit, offering the last one to him by nudging the plate in his direction.

"Why are you pushing so hard?"

"Because he's liked you for years; and I've had to sit around and listen to him complain about how much you hate him and god forbid those endless 'why won't she go out with me?' rants. A man can only handle so much, you know."

She chuckled.

"At least you don't have to hear that now."

He frowned, clutching his chest dramatically again.

"Ouch, Evans. That was a little harsh," he said.

She tilted her head slightly, watching him curiously.

"I'm sorry. And for the record, I don't hate James. He can just be a bit of a prat sometimes."

Sirius snorted and cleared his throat.

"A bit?"

She grinned.

"A lot. But you're right, he is a good person. He hasn't been as bad this year, I'll admit."

The smirk on Sirius' face was evident and a slight blush crept onto her cheeks.

"Do you like him?" he asked in an annoying sing-song voice and she rolled her eyes.

"Don't jump to conclusions, Black," she warned. She pointed her finger in his direction before checking the clock on the wall.

"Rather rude, don't you think?" Sirius commented and she poked her tongue out childishly.

"Do you want to do something? I don't have to be back until dinner."

Sirius raised both his eyebrows.

"Are you hitting on me, Evans?"

She rolled her eyes as she pushed herself up from the chair and took the plate and cups over to the sink.

"Only in your dreams, Sirius."

He grinned as he too stood up from his chair and smoothed his hair carefully.

"Well by all means, all aboard the grand tour of my humble abode."

She chuckled as she headed towards the back door.

"I'll go say goodbye and then we'll leave, okay?"

He nodded and the back door slammed shut behind her and he waited while admiring Petunia's painting once more. He'd never known what it was like to have a real home until Hogwarts. Sure, he'd lived in the _Noble and Most Ancient House of Black_ for most of his upbringing, but it was not quite the one he'd desired. It didn't come close enough in the likes of Hogwarts, or the Potter's.

He was saved from thinking about what the Potters might have been doing at this very moment without him when the door opened and Lily walked back in followed by her mother.

"Well it was certainly lovely to meet you, Sirius," Mrs. Evans said extending her hand to shake his and he courteously lifted it to his lips and kissed it.

"The pleasure was all mine, I assure you, Mrs. Evans."

She blushed as Lily rolled her eyes and kissed her mother's cheek.

"I'll see you for dinner," she promised and linked arms with Sirius and dragged him from the room without so much as a second glance.

**A/N:**

**And so, the first edited chapter ends here.**

**But alas, don't stress because the next parts will be uploaded next, I assure you. **

**And then I'll continue to put off my homework and write up a new chapter for all those who are hopeful.**

**And then I'll actually do my homework.**

**Much, much love for all those who expressed interest in me continuing!**

**LilyHeartsJames**


	2. Chapter 2

**Tea and Biscuits**

**Disclaimer: **_JK Rowling owns the rights to the Harry Potter universe, including characters and any other information you recognise._

**Dedication: **_To the reviewers of _'Tea and Biscuits' _and _'Of Potter and Evans', _you guys are truly, truly amazing. Sorry if I haven't gotten back to any of you personally, it was my full intention to however, I got very busy with studies. But I still appreciate the time you took to read and review, they all made my day. Each review inspired me to continue, so give yourself a pat on the back and a bowl of cookies and cream ice cream._

**NOTE:**

The second chapter of 'Tea and Biscuits'. Nothing you haven't already read as it's just copied and pasted (and edited slightly, but only slightly) from the original first chapter, but you know, if you want you can have another read if you'd like.

Enjoy!

* * *

"Interesting," Lily commented as she strode around Sirius' one bedroom apartment. The lounge area was quite cosy, however, it didn't have the nice 'home-like' feeling Sirius had commented on about her own house. It didn't really feel like it was lived in at all. There was a large, ash coloured couch in the centre of the room with a glossy coffee table sitting in front of it. A marble fireplace stood neat and tall in the corner close by and the grate remained empty. _And so it should in this weather,_she thought to herself as she moved over towards the kitchen.

A small rounded wooden table, a dull white fridge, a silver slightly rusting sink and an old stove were really the only occupants in this area, apart from a bin that appeared a little over full and a phone hanging from the wall. Sirius strode over and placed it back over the receiver.

"My landlord requested that I have a telephone. He said that if a Muggle were ever to set foot in here then they might find it strange if that particular item was missing," he explained with a shrug.

Lily smiled in response and neared the two doors leading off from the living room.

"Bathroom is on the right, my bedroom on the left," Sirius supplied and she opened the door to the bathroom and peaked inside to find a small shower stall with a flowery patterned curtain, a sink and a murky brown toilet in the corner.

"It was originally vomit green; however I tried to change it to a cream colour. I don't exactly know where I went wrong to come up with this," Sirius explained over her shoulder with a puzzled expression and she chuckled.

"I like it."

"The toilet?"

She rolled her eyes as she walked back out into the living room.

"Your apartment. It's nice. How often are you here?"

Sirius laughed darkly.

"It's that obvious is it?"

She gave him an apologetic glance and he waved it away.

"I spend most of my time walking around Diagon Alley or drinking at The Leaky Cauldron."

"I suppose you've grown tired of that?"

She sat down on his couch and he pulled up a chair from the kitchen table and sat opposite her.

"Unless I see the occasional student, you know Marlene or Dorcas Meadows, you know her, she graduated a year ahead of us. Works in the Ministry for the-"

"Magical Law Enforcement? I remember. How is she?"

Sirius shrugged, running his fingers through his hair and pushing it back so that it was no longer hanging in his eyes.

"Fine, she's engaged to one of Frank Longbottom's cousins, or something like that."

"That sounds lovely, if he's anything like Frank then she's a lucky woman," she said and he smirked cheekily at her.

"Careful, Evans. You do remember that Frank and Alice are married right?"

She rolled her eyes and tossed a bit of excess fluff from the couch and it landed on his knee.

"Weak."

She poked out her tongue and he retaliated the gesture.

"It's still a nice place, I suppose," he said glancing around. "It's not home or anything, but it'll do for now."

"You'll miss that 'homey' feeling at Hogwarts if you don't go back" she replied and he tilted his head in her direction.

"Was this the real reason you came here today? To get me to go back?"

Lily smirked at the way Sirius had exaggerated his take on her voice, the pitch being far too high for her liking.

"Of course, why else? I also wanted to see your apartment. Tell me, am I the first?"

Sirius smirked and cleared his throat.

"Actually, Marlene beat you to it a few days ago."

She scrunched up her face as she glanced down at his couch.

"Ew."

"She was more interested in the bedroom, if I may say so."

Lily groaned.

"Please stop talking," she begged.

"I'm sick of this place already. Up for a drink at the Cauldron?"

She shrugged.

"As long as you don't leak any more details concerning my best friend, I'm all for it."

He grinned.

"It was one time, Evans. Besides, I haven't even got to the good bits yet-"

Lily leapt off the couch and ran to the door, her hands covering her ears and Sirius chuckled as he followed her out of his apartment.

* * *

"Sirius," Tom the barkeeper said firmly. "I think you've had enough," he added as Sirius sloshed Firewhiskey down his front.

The latter laughed loudly and shook his head, more liquid spilling onto the counter.

"I don't…" Sirius slurred as he winked at the equally drunk redhead beside him who giggled.

"May-maybe he has a point, Sirus. You're, you're drunk!"

Sirius guffawed at the misuse of his name.

"Ebans, enough! I've never 'eard of, of such treachery!"

She chuckled once more as Tom shook his head.

"Last one, tonight folks. Then I'll close up and walk the two of you home."

Lily snorted.

"I'm a looooong way from home, Thomas!"

Her friend rolled his eyes as she hiccuped.

"Please! At _least_ you 'ave a hoooome!"

She sighed, taking another swig of her Firewhiskey.

"Sirus, I told you. Come back to 'ogwarts wimme. We can be outcasts together!"

He smiled.

"Ah, 'ogwarts. It won't be the same, but. Not with Pongs 'n Moony 'n Wormy angry at me."

"Or Snape. But forget 'em. I mean look at us! Who wouldn't wanna be our friends?" Lily asked, stretching her arms out wide as though she had just performed a magic trick. She hiccupped once more and giggled.

Sirius laughed again, slurping some Firewhiskey loudly. Tom shook his head and walked away to the other end of the bar to serve other customers.

Lily sighed.

"Why do ya think we lost 'em Sirus? Is it because we're bad people?"

He frowned at her.

"Ebans, you're the nicest person I know! Besides Moony, 'o course."

She shrugged.

"I can be a bitch though, Jams could vouch for it."

Sirius howled with laughter unexpectedly and she frowned.

"_Jams!_" he repeated and she snorted.

"_Pongs!_" she hit back and he too sighed.

"I'm a bad person, Ebans. But not you. You're one of the good ones."

She shook her head.

"No. You're a good one too. They are the bad ones."

He tilted his head to look at her, liquid dripping on the floor. They ignored it.

"Who?"

She rolled her eyes.

"_Them_. Voldemort." She added in a loud whisper and an instant hush went around the pub. Tom sighed as several people stood from the bar and tables nearby and fearfully headed towards the door, not chancing a glance back at the confused pair.

"Where did eberybody go?" Sirius asked and Lily shrugged.

"May-maybe they had to go to the loo."

He grinned.

"They'll be all waitin' a while then."

"Alright you two, finish up. I'm taking you both home," Tom said as the rest of the people downed their drinks and left the pub.

Lily and Sirius' eyes met and they smirked.

"Firs' to empty their glass makes the other breakie?" Sirius declared and Lily snorted.

"You 'aven't got any food in your fridge!"

He rolled his eyes.

"Right. Well, buys it then. Ready… On your marks, set get… GO!"

They both raised their glasses to their mouths and drank frantically, Sirius reaching out with his other hand to tickle his opponent. Lily brushed him off with a frown and gulped down the rest of her drink, raising her glass triumphantly a second before Sirius could.

"I win!" she shouted and he shook his head.

"No, you cheated. Go again."

She gasped loudly, placing the glass on the bar heavily and it cracked. Tom shook his head and repaired it with a flick of his wand and reached for Sirius' in his outstretched hand.

"I never cheated! I won square 'n fair! You tried to tickle me!" Lily exclaimed and Sirius waved this off with his hand.

"Nonsense, Ebans. It was a draw."

She shook her head, her eyes narrowing dangerously.

"I outdrank Sirus Black and you know it. You lost, so ya owe me breaky!"

Sirius looked to Tom who shook his head.

"Sorry, Sirius. She won."

Sirius groaned.

"I thought ya were me friend, Tom!"

He sighed.

"Right you two, up you get. I'll walk you back to the apartment."

They each stood and Tom followed them out of the pub, rolling his eyes as they continued to banter, slinging their arms around one another as they tripped over non-existent objects and laughing all the while.

**A/N:**

**And here lies the second chapter, slightly edited (but only slightly) because I enjoy it too much for my own liking.**

**Still putting off all of my homework for all you lovely witches and wizards,**

**LilyHeartsJames**


	3. Chapter 3

**Tea and Biscuits**

**Disclaimer: **_JK Rowling owns the rights to the Harry Potter universe, including characters and any other information you recognise._

**Dedication: **_To the reviewers of _'Tea and Biscuits' _and _'Of Potter and Evans', _you guys are truly, truly amazing. Sorry if I haven't gotten back to any of you personally, it was my full intention to however, I got very busy with studies. But I still appreciate the time you took to read and review, they all made my day. Each review inspired me to continue, so give yourself a pat on the back and a bowl of cookies and cream ice cream._

**NOTE:**

The third chapter of 'Tea and Biscuits'. Once again, it's nothing you haven't already read as it's just copied and pasted from the original first chapter, but you know, if you want you can have another read if you'd like.

Oh, it's slightly edited just to make things flow a bit better but other than that, it's basically the same.

Enjoy!

* * *

Lily awoke to a door slamming and the sun shining brightly through the window. She let out a loud groan.

"Go away," she croaked. Her throat was dry and her head throbbed rather painfully.

"Morning Evans," called an exhausted voice and she sat up and squinted in the direction of the door. Sirius came into view wearing sunglasses with dark shades and carrying cups of what smelled like coffee and a brown paper bag. "Breakfast of champions," he explained in a dry voice.

She sighed.

"What on earth did I do last night?"

He set the food and drinks on the table in the kitchen and made his way toward her.

"It would appear that we had one too many drinks."

She frowned at him.

"Why on earth am I on this moth eaten couch?"

He smirked.

"I didn't think you'd appreciate sleeping in the same bed that Marlene and I-"

"Oi! That's the last thing I want to hear right now! Shush."

He sniggered as she stood up and stretched before clutching her head.

"Please, please tell me you have a cure brewed for me?"

He rolled his eyes.

"In the kitchen."

"Thank Merlin," she muttered as she stumbled in the direction of the kitchen and he followed closely behind.

He sighed, running his fingers through his surprisingly smooth hair and took off his sunglasses, tossing them onto the table carelessly

Lily located the potion on the kitchen sink and downed it in one gulp and shuddered, clutching the edge of the bench.

"That was potent."

Sirius chuckled and handed her a cup that she took with a grateful nod of the head.

"That'll wash it down," he said pulling something out of the bag.

"Bacon and egg sandwiches?" she asked hopefully and he nodded, tossing her one wrapped in white paper.

"With ketchup."

She sipped her coffee and was glad to taste how strong it was, then went onto unwrap her sandwich and devoured it.

Sirius' eyebrows rose as he watched her scoff down her breakfast.

"Classy, Evans."

"Shut up," she ordered through a mouthful of food and he shook his head and swallowed the remark he had prepared.

Once they were both finished and had licked off the remaining ketchup from their fingers, they watched one another and Lily moved towards the kitchen chair across from him and sat down, her coffee warming her hands.

"I was supposed to be home for dinner last night," she mumbled and he shrugged his shoulders.

"I took care of that this morning. I wrote them a letter explaining your absence and that you'd be home later."

"Thank you. What did you say?"

Sirius suspiciously tapped his nose and had a mouthful of his coffee . She narrowed her eyes.

"The truth," he said finally. "We went out and got plastered."

She sighed and ran her fingers through her knotted hair and groaned. "I feel horrible."

He sniggered.

"You look it."

She glared at him but he continued to give her an annoying smirk.

"You're funny when you're drunk. I still cannot believe you beat me in a drinking competition, even after I cheated. That's just not right. This had better not get out, Evans, no one beats me."

She shrugged but a smile spread across her face.

"To be fair I think I had less in my glass. But still."

He crossed his arms and leaned on the table.

"You owe me, Evans."

She nodded and drank her coffee.

"I'll repay you with tea and biscuits any time you're feeling lonely."

He smiled genuinely.

"Thanks, Evans."

She nodded.

"No worries, Black. And thanks for this," she added raising her coffee and he winked.

They were silent for a while until he finally broke it.

"I got a letter from Peter, by the way. He's coming over later."

A grin crossed her face.

"I told you they'd come around."

He shrugged.

"Don't count your chickens before they've hatched. He might be coming over to yell at me for all we know."

She snorted.

"Peter yelling? That would be the day. He's too sweet."

Sirius shrugged.

"He wasn't pleased when I last spoke with him. He was quite disappointed actually. And I can't say I blame him either."

"Still, he's not the type to yell and throw a fit. You'll owl me about it?"

He raised his eyebrows yet again.

"Well aren't you nosey," he commented however his grey eyes held warmth in them and she grinned.

"Please, you owe me. You can't leave me hanging over it."

"I do not owe you."

"Well at least come over for tea and biscuits and tell me; then I would have repaid you, you can fill me in on how it goes with Peter and we're even."

He chuckled.

"That's if your mother even lets me into the house; I practically hijacked her sweet and not so innocent Head Girl."

"We'll have it on the porch swing then, that's not exactly in the house now is it?"

He smirked.

"I had no idea you even possessed a wild side until last night. You made noises that I've never heard come from another woman."

"Tosser," she answered swatting at his arm and he dodged it with ease.

"I'm joking; we didn't do anything of the sort."

She shrugged.

"I know that. I wouldn't go there and neither would you. And James means far too much to you even when you aren't on speaking terms. And not to mention, that would just be awkward. What would become of us then?"

He looked away out of the window over the sink and sighed.

"I'm thinking Hogwarts might be too painful to go back to. I'd have to share a dorm room with them and it would just be weird. I'd feel alone."

Lily shook her head and leaned forwards, placing a delicate hand on top of his.

"You won't be alone, Sirius. I told you, they'll come around. And besides, you'll have me."

His eyes met hers for a moment and he smiled.

"Thanks, Lily."

He lifted his other hand and patted hers before leaning back and pulling out of her grasp gently.

"I should really be thanking you, Sirius. You've helped me more than you know."

He watched her carefully, a smirk playing on his lips.

"Oh trust me, I know. I just knew you would deny it if I mentioned it."

She blushed slightly.

"I can be stubborn when I want to be."

He chuckled.

"You think? You only rejected James every time he asked you out."

Lily sighed as she drank the rest of her coffee and pointed her wand at the bin, magically emptying it. She tossed her cup and balled up sandwich bag into the bin and smiled satisfyingly.

"I'll sort something out with him before we go back."

Sirius perked up a bit and smiled.

"You'll meet up with him?"

She rolled her eyes before nodding.

"I'll see if he wants to. He's stopped asking me out this year so-"

"Please, he'll be bouncing off the walls when he gets your letter. Mark my words."

She sighed and leaned her chin in the palm of her hand.

"I don't want to hurt him. I just want to make nice with him, give him a chance you know?"

He nodded.

"And he'll be happy with that. Who knows, maybe you'll eventually go there and-"

"Sirius, are we actually going to discuss this?"

He smirked.

"Right. It's sort of like the whole Marlene and me thing isn't it?"

She gasped, pushing her hair out of her face.

"It's nothing like you and Marlene! I'm not going to jump him or anything if we catch up-"

Sirius gave her an indignant look.

"Oi! We had a few drinks first and then one thing lead to another and-"

"Enough! I'm going to go home and take a shower; Merlin knows I need one," she said standing from her chair. She turned back to face him. "I'll see you later for tea and biscuits?"

Sirius nodded.

"By the way, Evans, I just meant that we wouldn't give each other details about James and Marlene. Not, well you know. I know you wouldn't jump him, and I know he wouldn't either so…" he trailed off and she nodded, a blush creeping onto her cheeks.

"Well, this has been fun despite it turning sufficiently awkward. However, I won't hold it against you. I'll see you later, and thanks again, Sirius!"

He nodded as she waved before Disapparating, leaving Sirius staring at the spot she had so recently vacated.

* * *

Lily traipsed through the front door and into the kitchen only to find her mother and father sitting at the table with an open letter in between them. She winced as they glanced up and their expressions hardened.

"Alright, before you yell at me, please let me explain. I had every intention of coming home for dinner, but Sirius and I got talking and then we went and had a er… few drinks at the pub down the road. And then I didn't think it would be safe for me to Apparate home because well, I had been drinking and so I crashed on his couch." Their eyebrows rose at this and she quickly added, "And I'm sorry for not writing and letting you know, I forgot."

Her father stood and gestured to the letter.

"We got this just this morning."

She turned red. _What on earth did Sirius write?_

"It says, 'Dear mum and dad, sorry I didn't come home last night. Don't freak out, I got sloshed at the pub with Sirius and then stayed at his. Don't worry, we used protection. Love, Lily'…" her father trailed off and dropped the letter back down onto the table, crossing his arms over his chest.

Lily winced and cleared her throat.

"That is actually very much exaggerated and I'll admit, I didn't write it. However, I was quite tipsy and no, we didn't use protection as he put it-"

She realised a second too late the reaction from her parents: her father dropped back into his chair in a daze and her mother clutched at her chest, her mouth opening and closing like a goldfish.

"What I mean is," she rushed on quickly, her face taking on the colour of a beetroot, "we didn't do _that._ God no, we're just mates. He was just, you know, being a prat. It's how he is. I'm sorry, I didn't think that through properly before I spoke and I just-"

Her mother raised her hand to stop her and breathed in deeply.

"So what you're saying is, that you got drunk with a friend from school and slept on his couch?" her father clarified and she nodded. "But not with him?"

"No, not with Sirius," she affirmed and he nodded.

"Well I must say, I didn't expect this from you, Lils," her father said softly and she grimaced.

"I'm sorry; I wasn't expecting it either to be honest. Sirius has just been dealing with some problems lately and he needed a friend, that's all. He needed me."

Her mother looked up and nodded.

"No use of the phone for a week, unless it's in an emergency. Deal?"

Lily nodded, having no opposed thoughts to this. "Deal."

"Alright, I suspect you need to get some rest. Up you go," her father said nodding in the direction of the stairs and Lily smiled and left the room, taking the stairs two at a time.

Once sitting at her desk, she pulled out some fresh parchment and a bottle of ink from the drawer and dipped the tip of the quill into the bottle.

She hovered over the page for a moment, hesitating slightly as she gathered her thoughts. What exactly was she going to write?

_Dear James,_

She leaned back and shook her head. It didn't sound right. She tried again on a different bit of parchment.

_Potter,_

She sighed, scrunching up the parchment and reaching for another. Too informal.

She glanced out of the window and saw some children walking by, each laughing and smiling as they chatted with one another. Lily smiled reminiscently, remembering the days where she would walk with Severus and he told her about Hogwarts. Those days were long gone.

Her smile fell as she dipped her quill back into the ink pot and tried again.

_James,_

_Fancy catching up for some lunch at the Leaky Cauldron later this week?_

_Let me know,_

_Lily Evans_

There. It wasn't too formal or informal. It was just that. Casual, but straight to the point.

She leaned back and glanced at the perch next to the window where her brown barn owl, Twitch sat staring at her. She held out her arm and Twitch stepped off the perch onto it. She rummaged through the drawer and pulled out a couple of owl treats.

"Take this to James Potter for me, will you?" she asked feeding her biscuits and Twitch hooted gratefully while Lily tied the letter to her leg.

She stroked the owl's soft feathers as she took her to the window and Twitch spread her wings and soared out into the blue sky above, her wings outstretched and circling the house before drifting higher, and soon enough disappeared behind the trees.

Lily sighed as she sat back on her desk chair and looked at the moving photos of her with her school friends, Mary, Marlene and Alice. She smiled fondly before standing up and moving towards her bed and gathered up some fresh clothes.

The last thing she looked at before leaving for the bathroom was the picture frame beside her bed that held two young girls, one redhead and the other blonde with their arms around one another and grinning up at the camera. Smiling sadly to herself, Lily closed the door behind her and made her way down the hallway, shaking her head to rid herself of the painful memories of what used to be.

**A/N:**

**So I'm going to go and write up the new chapter for 'Tea and Biscuits', because you all deserve it for being so patient and lovely.**

**So many hugs,**

**LilyHeartsJames**


	4. Chapter 4: New

**Tea and Biscuits**

**Disclaimer: **_JK Rowling owns the rights to the Harry Potter universe, including characters and any other information you recognise._

**Dedication: **_To the reviewers of _'Tea and Biscuits' _and _'Of Potter and Evans', _you guys are truly, truly amazing. Sorry if I haven't gotten back to any of you personally, it was my full intention to however, I got very busy with studies. But I still appreciate the time you took to read and review, they all made my day. Each review inspired me to continue, so give yourself a pat on the back and a bowl of cookies and cream ice cream._

**NOTE!**

NEW CHAPTER!

I hope you all enjoy it.

* * *

"Lily!"

The redhead rolled over and groaned loudly, her eyes not even daring to open.

The door opened and the familiar sound of her mother's footsteps shuffled across the floor.

"Sweetheart, Sirius is here to see you," she said sitting on the side of her bed and feeling her forehead gently.

"What day is it?" was the mumbled response and Mrs. Evans chuckled.

"It's Sunday," she answered and Lily's eyes opened a crack.

"Still?"

Her mother shook her head and stood up, a smile evident on her face, and flipped her hair over her shoulder.

"It's only been five hours," she explained and Lily sighed loudly. "How's your head?"

Lily pushed herself up carefully and leaned her back against the wall.

"Better, much better. A sleep was exactly what I needed," she said with an attempt at a smile.

Mrs. Evans nodded and walked over to the door.

"I'm glad. Don't be too long dear, Sirius is waiting for you downstairs," she said and slipped out of the room leaving Lily by herself.

She rubbed her eyes wearily and swung her legs over the side of her bed, pushing her feet into a pair of dark blue slippers and straightened up.

"Why on earth did I ever agree to go drinking with Sirius Black?" she asked, checking her appearance in the mirror. She winced at her frizzy hair that she hadn't bothered drying and picked up her wand from the vanity. She pointed it at her head and smiled as it went flat and loose curls hung past her shoulders. _Much better, _she thought before pulling a purple hooded jumper over her head and making her way downstairs.

"Black!" she greeted as she stumbled into the kitchen and sat in the chair opposite him and beside her father. She smiled sweetly and said, "Afternoon, Daddy."

Mr. Evans grinned. "Nice of you to join us, dear. Sirius here has been telling me all about school."

She raised suspicious eyes to the boy in question who only winked.

"Nothing Lily isn't aware of, I'm sure," he said with a smirk and her father chuckled.

"He tells me that you're quite the student, Lils. Not that I didn't already know of course, but you are mighty modest," he said patting her shoulder and she blushed a deep shade of red.

"_Dad_, it's nothing to make a big deal about. I'm not all that important, really," she replied averting her eyes.

Sirius snorted. "You're only the brightest student of our year, no, no, absolutely no need to make a big deal out of it," he said sarcastically and she rolled her eyes at him.

"Shush, or I won't give you any biscuits," she threatened and Sirius mimed locking his lips and throwing away an imaginary key.

"How do you take your tea, Sirius?" Mrs. Evans asked from over at the sink and he turned in his seat to face her.

"White with three sugars, please."

Mr. Evans made a sound of astonishment. "Mark my words; you'll wind up with heart failure if you keep that up, boy!"

Lily sniggered and Sirius just shrugged.

"I don't plan on growing old anyways," he said as Mrs. Evans placed the cup on the coaster in front of him. "Thank you," he added with a nod.

"Sirius!" Lily chastised and he shrugged, glancing up at her.

"Well I don't! Besides, could you imagine me as an old bugger, Evans?"

She frowned, tilting her head sideways and shaking her head after a moment's thought.

"No, not really," she said in a miserable tone and Sirius winked yet again.

"Don't worry, Lily, you're sure to end up with about three children, six if James can help it, and living in one of the Potter's many mansions," he said sipping his tea.

Mr. Evans raised his eyebrows curiously.

"Potter? As in James Potter? The boy you're always complaining about?" he asked turning to his daughter who coloured in the face. Sirius smirked into his drink and she aimed a kick at him under the table.

She wore a satisfied smile when he winced.

"Yes, the same boy," she said turning back to her father. "And no, I'm not having children with James Potter," she added to Sirius who shrugged.

"I've seen him at the train station, Lily," her mother said and Lily sighed. "He's quite good looking isn't he?"

Sirius tilted his head sideways and raised his eyebrows at her.

She rolled her eyes.

"He's alright, I suppose."

Sirius laughed, causing her father to spill some of his tea in surprise at the booming sound.

"Say that to his fan club, Evans and they'll come after you with every fibre in their being," he warned her.

"Oh, please. They'd be too busy following his every move to even care," she retorted.

Mrs. Evans sighed.

"All I'm saying, Lily, is that a man who looks that good shouldn't be ignored."

She shrugged.

"I don't ignore him."

"She shouts at him, hexes him, hits him-"

Sirius broke off after another well-aimed kick got him on the shin and he rubbed it gingerly.

"You know very well that we haven't argued in months!"

"What about on the train ride home?"

"There was no violence involved!"

Mrs. Evans gasped.

"Lily! You don't actually hurt this poor boy, do you?"

Lily turned to face her mother and shook her head.

"Of course not," she lied, glaring daggers at Sirius.

"Well I should hope not," Mrs. Evans said as she sipped her tea.

Lily glanced at Sirius and inclined her head at the door to the kitchen. He shrugged in reply.

Mr. Evans watched them with amusement dancing in his eyes.

"Well, Mum, Dad," she said looking at each of them in turn, "as splendid as this is, Sirius and I are going to take our tea out to the porch swing," she added standing from the table and Sirius followed suit. She poured some biscuits onto a plate and carried it outside with Sirius following her, tipping an imaginary hat to her mother as he passed.

* * *

"I told you!" Lily exclaimed loudly, almost upending her tea in excitement. Sirius frowned and moved the biscuits from the swing to the wooden table beside him.

"Calm your hippogriffs, I told him no," he replied and Lily's smile fell almost instantly.

"What?"

Sirius sighed, running his hand through his hair so that it wasn't hanging in his eyes.

"I told him that we can't, there's too much at risk," he said and she rolled her eyes indignantly.

"Sirius, he told you he wants to be friends again, why would you pass that up? Isn't that what you want?"

He averted his gaze and watched some children walk past the house, bouncing an orange ball and laughing as they went.

"Remus and James aren't ready to forgive me just yet, and Peter wants the Marauders back together. Of course that's what I want, Lily, but if they aren't ready for that then I don't want Peter ending up having a fight with them over it. I'm not worth it," he said quietly.

She leaned over and patted his hand gently.

"They will come around, Peter did."

He shrugged, meeting her eyes slowly.

"And if they don't?"

She smirked.

"We can always conjure up some bunk beds in the common room," she suggested and he laughed.

"Why not?"

She nodded, leaning her side into the swing and watching him carefully.

"We can have our own sleepovers and they can't join in unless they're ready to forgive," she promised and he too leaned his back into the cushions.

"Back in first year, did you ever imagine we'd end up right where we are now?" he asked and she sighed loudly.

"To be honest, I thought I would marry the grandson of Newt Scamander and we'd have four children, three boys and a girl. And Severus was the Godfather of all of them."

Sirius snorted loudly, picking up another biscuit and biting into it.

"You're weird," he told her with a shake of his head.

She leaned forward.

"Well go on then, where did you think you'd end up?"

He shrugged his shoulders, swallowing a mouthful of biscuit.

"I thought I would have been in Slytherin, for starters. And married to a Muggle or Muggleborn, just to piss off my parents. And you know, I'd care about her too," he added, noticing Lily's scandalous look on her face.

He ate the rest of the biscuit and she leaned back, shrugging.

"Do you still want to get married?"

He shook his head.

"Not really, I don't believe in it all that much. It's just a label, really. A signed piece of paper that determines the one and only person you get to sleep with for the rest of your miserable life."

Lily raised an eyebrow at him.

"But you used to believe in it?"

He turned to look at her.

"My parents are married, and look at them. They're not all that affectionate towards each other. My mother had the right social circle and my father had a lot of money, my grandparents made them marry, of course."

Lily crossed her arms.

"My parents are married," she told him matter-of-factly and he grinned.

"And I can see that they're in love, as are Mr. and Mrs. Potter. I suppose if I met the right person who changed my mind, I might. But they'd better be quick, with the war fast approaching I doubt I'll live long enough to be convinced," he said and Lily closed her eyes momentarily.

"It's really happening, isn't it?" she asked, re-opening her eyes and Sirius nodded solemnly.

"It's getting worse by the day, Evans. They don't put much of it in The Prophet because the Ministry is trying to pretend they've got control of the situation, but they don't. The truth is, the war is out of their hands now, and it's up to people like Dumbledore to fight against it."

"And you? Will you fight?"

He nodded.

"Until death," he said and she took hold of his hand.

"Unless I've got something to say about it," she murmured and he grinned.

"I reckon we'd make an alright pair, you and I. Black and Evans, fighting for the justice of all humankind."

"And creatures," she added and he rolled his eyes.

"And creatures," he repeated with a lazy smile.

Lily lifted her almost empty cup of tea in toast and Sirius sighed, leaning forward to grab another biscuit.

"To Black and Evans," she announced and he smirked.

"Black and Evans," he said tapping his biscuit against her cup and she drained the rest of her tea. Sirius chewed on his biscuit thoughtfully when Mrs. Evans poked her head around the door and smiled brightly at them.

"Stay for tea, won't you Sirius?" she asked and he smiled at her.

"There's no need to feel obliged, Mrs. Evans. I'll leave soon anyway," he said and Lily and her mother shook their heads.

"Nonsense! I'll set a place for you," she said as she turned and walked back inside, closing the door gently behind her.

Sirius turned to Lily who was watching him happily.

"It's not as though you have a fancy roast to go home to, is it?" she asked with a cheeky grin and he shrugged.

"Not really, I just didn't want to impose," he said and she waved her hand at him.

"Rubbish."

"Although, I now feel inclined to prove you wrong one night and cook you the best roast you've ever had," he told her, nodding his head in the direction of the road.

"Are you hitting on me, Black?" she asked and he only grinned.

"Only in your dreams, Evans."

* * *

Sirius hadn't met Lily's sister before, but he had seen her a few times at the train station when she dropped her off with her family. She didn't look much different; really, her face still appeared rather horsey, although she was older and bonier. And she still narrowed her eyes whenever she made contact with Sirius in anyway, as he had accidentally bumped into her at the end of second year.

"Pass the gravy, will you Lily?" Petunia asked and everyone on the table glanced at the jug that was sitting directly in front of Sirius.

Lily glanced at him apologetically but Sirius smiled and grasped the jug handle and placed it in front of Petunia's plate. She didn't say anything, only looked at the jug with a disgusted look on her face.

"_Petunia_," Mr. Evans warned and she merely glanced at Sirius for a second and gave a stiff, "Thanks," before lifting the jug and pouring it over her meat.

"So, Lily tells us that you're into sports," Mrs. Evans said to Sirius who shrugged.

"I like Quidditch, but I'm not much of a fan of any Muggle sports," he answered honestly and Petunia flinched at the words and Lily rolled her eyes.

"Oh, for goodness sake, Petunia," she snapped and Sirius shot her warning glance.

"It's fine, Lily," he said with an encouraging smile and she sipped from her glass of wine.

On special nights her parents would let her have one glass of wine, and as Sirius wasn't usually at the Evans' house for dinner, they treated it as a special occasion. Lily was close to throwing hers in her sister's face. _How dare she be so rude to a guest, _she thought angrily as she lowered her glass to the table with a venomous scowl at her sister.

"Do your family also like sports?" Mr. Evans asked and Sirius cleared his throat awkwardly.

"They don't really involve themselves in it, but they bought my brother and I expensive racing brooms to show off to all of their high class associates. And they often boast about my brother being on his house team," he replied and Mrs. Evans frowned.

"Lily told us you were on your house team, also?"

Sirius nodded.

"I was, not any more though. And I don't really get on with my family nowadays, so they wouldn't be caught dead speaking about me."

There was silence around the table, and Sirius shrugged.

"It's okay, I'm better off without them, believe me. They're very uptight, and we clashed over our different views too often and it just got to the point where it was unbearable, so I left when I was sixteen."

Mr. Evans grimaced.

"Elizabeth doesn't get along with her parents either," he said nodding at his wife and she patted Sirius on the shoulder comfortingly.

"I'm sorry to hear that," he said honestly and she smiled sadly.

"Don't worry about it, Sirius, but it was lovely of you to say," she told him and turned back to her dinner.

"So, Petunia," Sirius said and the blonde haired woman froze while cutting her roast. "Lily tells me that you're engaged? How long until the wedding?" he asked and Lily smiled at him gratefully.

Petunia continued cutting her meat.

"Four months," she said shortly.

"Well, I suppose a 'Congratulations' is in order then," he added and she nodded her head in thanks.

There was another awkward silence.

"You all make me sound like such a gossip," Lily said. "It's always, 'Lily tells me this,' I feel like a bit of a prat," she said with a chuckle and Sirius grinned.

"You are a bit," he said and she poked her tongue out at him.

The rest of the meal passed by with more polite chatter, and Sirius didn't try to make any further conversation with Petunia, deciding that her discomfort wasn't all that enjoyable. It seemed like the more effort he made, the less friendly she became.

When Petunia pushed back her chair at the end of dessert, she declared that she was going to bed and bid her family goodnight and left with no parting words for Sirius, not that he minded.

"I apologise for her behaviour tonight," Mr. Evans said almost instantly. "She doesn't know how to act when around-"

"Really, Mr. Evans, there's no need to apologise. I'm sorry my presence made her uncomfortable. If I had known it would have turned out that way then I wouldn't have stayed for dinner," Sirius interrupted and Lily emptied her glass of wine.

"She should at least make an effort to be polite to my friends, as I've always done to hers," she said standing from the table and taking their plates over to the bench.

Mr. Evans smiled at Sirius and grabbed the wine glasses and carried them over to the sink.

"Leave the dishes, pumpkin. Your mother and I can handle them," he said with a smile and kissed the top of his daughter's head and she smiled and glanced in Sirius' direction.

"See me out?" he asked and she nodded.

"Thank you very much for dinner, it was lovely," he said, nodding at Mrs. Evans who grinned at him.

"You're welcome any time, Sirius. It was our pleasure," she told him and he gave them a wave before following Lily outside.

"I am so sorry," she said the moment the door was shut behind them. Sirius turned to her and shook his head.

"Don't be, Evans. Your sister was just uncomfortable by my presence, I get that. I actually find it kind of ironic really," he said and she raised an inquisitive eyebrow.

"How so?"

"Well, my family can't stand anyone that isn't pureblood and who don't have magical tendencies and your sister can't stand anyone who possesses magic."

Lily nodded thoughtfully.

"I suppose it is rather ironic when you explain it," she replied and he grinned.

"Don't be angry with your sister, just… I don't know, move on from it. Clearly our friendship should only consist of tea and biscuits, and drunken escapades."

Lily smirked at this.

"Or dinner without my sister," she added.

He nodded.

"I had an interesting time, to say the least. And your parents are spectacular, I can see why you choose to come home for Christmas," he told her with a smile.

"Not this year, I'm staying at Hogwarts for the last one. Alice said that Christmas in the castle is incredible."

Sirius shoved his hands in his pockets.

"She's not lying, I assure you."

She crossed her arms over her chest.

"Can I ask you something?"

He raised an eyebrow.

"Shoot."

"If you and the Marauders hadn't broken up, would you still have come to visit me?"

He didn't answer straight away, instead he frowned thoughtfully.

"I'm full of surprises," was all he said and she nodded.

"Well for the record, I'm glad you did. Visit me that is, not the whole breakup thing," she replied and he rolled his eyes at her.

"I suppose I couldn't ruin this night with a cheesy, 'I'm glad too,' or anything," he said taking a step backwards.

"Come and visit me if you get lonely," Lily said and he winked before turning and walking down the footpath, raising a hand in farewell.

"Careful what you wish for, Evans."

She watched Sirius retreat into the darkness before turning and walking back inside, switching off the porch light as she did. She said goodnight to her parents and made her way into her bedroom, collapsing on top of her bed.

Her last thoughts, before she drifted off to sleep, were if James had received her letter, and what he might think of the unexpected invitation to lunch, as it wasn't every day that Lily Evans invited him to spend time alone with her.

**A/N:**

**And here we have it, the latest chapter.**

**I hope it was all worth it!**

**And James will definitely be appearing next chapter.**

**Thanks so much for being so patient!**

**LilyHeartsJames**


	5. Chapter 5

**Tea and Biscuits**

**Disclaimer:**_JK Rowling owns the rights to the Harry Potter universe, including characters and any other information you recognise._

**Dedication: **_All of the fans who reviewed, and added this story to their favourites and follow lists._

**Notes- **_Guys, sorry for the huge delay. I had holidays and wanted to spend all of my time with my family. However, I did write up some stuff for the next chapter, but regardless, I mostly just hung out at home._

I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

* * *

James Potter was an early riser.

He could go to bed as late as he wanted and he would still rise at the crack of dawn. And today was not unlike any other.

Shouldering his expensive racing broom, James strode into the Potter's kitchen where his Mother was sitting at the table drinking a mug of tea and reading _The Daily Prophet _with a frown.

He propped his broom up against the wall beside the back door and kissed his Mother's cheek before sliding into a chair beside her, and ignoring the impatient noises coming from his stomach, pulled a large plate of eggs and sausages towards him.

"Good morning, dear. Sleep well?"

Mrs. Potter placed the newspaper beside her momentarily as she made eye contact with her son who grinned widely at her.

"Alright, I suppose. Where's Dad?"

His Mother rolled her eyes, but smiled none the less.

"He was called into the Ministry before you got up; I expect he should be home soon. It's only for a talk with Moody about the trainees," she explained as James tucked into his plate.

"Do you miss it?"

At the unexpected question, Mrs. Potter raised her eyebrows curiously.

"Miss what, dear?"

Swallowing his food, James said, "the Ministry. Have you ever considered going back?"

Mrs. Potter didn't respond straight away, she sipped her tea and finished off her toast with a thoughtful expression on her face.

"You know, I thought I would at the time, but after juggling work part time it just felt right to take time off to raise you. I wanted a family, and I soon learnt that you were a child that required a lot of attention. We couldn't take our eyes off of you," she answered with a smile and James chuckled lightly.

"I was that bad, wasn't I?"

She surprised him with the shake of a head.

"I wouldn't say you were bad, sweetheart; you were more of a challenge, especially for older parents."

Mrs. Potter glanced at him and shook her head slowly.

"And you still are," she added as she threw him a tea-towel and gave him a pointed look whilst tapping her chin.

James smirked at her as he caught the towel single-handedly and wiped his face with it, giving his mother a wink.

"Alas, how boring would your lives have been without me?"

She chuckled and patted his hand kindly.

"Admittedly, you gave us quite an interesting life, and still do, I assure you."

He was saved from answering when an unfamiliar brown barn owl came souring through the window, carrying a scroll tied to its clawed feet.

It landed on the table and dipped it's head into James' glass of orange juice as he scrutinized it carefully. When it looked up at him impatiently he recognised the wide, bright yellow eyes and frowned thoughtfully.

"What are you doing all the way out here, Twitch?" he asked as he untied the scroll and Twitch hooted appreciatively and nibbled on Mrs. Potter's leftover toast crust.

James unrolled the scroll slowly, unsure of what to find when he finally opened it. His Mother had become disinterested and had gone back to reading her newspaper when he finally finished fumbling with the bit of parchment.

Abandoning his plate, he flattened the parchment on the table and read the neat writing with his eyebrows narrowed in confusion. Twitch, having eyed off his eggs greedily, began pecking at his breakfast.

"Strange," he murmured to himself and his Mother looked up with a raised eyebrow.

"Something the matter, dear?"

James, having forgotten she was there, glanced up at her with a gloomy scowl.

"It's just… Lily Evans wants to meet up for lunch with me."

He was met with silence as Mrs. Potter tilted her head to the side with a mixed expression.

"_The_ Lily Evans you have a crush on?"

James grimaced at her choice of words but nodded regardless.

"Yeah."

Mrs. Potter pushed her newspaper to the side and leaned towards him, clasping her hands together.

"The same Lily Evans you _row_ with on a constant basis?"

James nodded again.

"That's the one."

"Well, that is strange indeed," she said quietly and James leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest.

"What should I do?" he asked and Mrs. Potter snorted in reply.

"How on earth should I know? It's your call."

He omitted an irritated hum as his Mother once again picked up _The Daily Prophet_ and buried herself behind it.

"Well we don't exactly get along; I mean, the last time we spoke she very nearly threw me off the train."

Mrs. Potter rolled her eyes and silently thanked Merlin that she was hidden from view.

"What did you do to deserve that?"

James cleared his throat, his face slightly reddening.

"I may have called her a prude and tossed a chocolate frog in her hair."

He heard his Mother chuckle.

"I'm rather disappointed that she didn't follow through with her threat then."

James growled under his breath.

"I was just giving her a dose of her own medicine; she threw a pumpkin pie at my face at the end of term feast. My hair smelt like pumpkin for the entire next day because it refused to wash out!"

Mrs. Potter peaked around the edge of her paper, her eyes dancing with laughter as she fought to keep a straight face.

"And why did she do that?"

James opened his mouth but before he could retort, Twitch nipped at his finger irritably.

"Ouch! Look, it's not relevant," he said, sucking his finger and giving the owl a fierce glare. "The point is that she supposedly wrote to me to ask me if I wanted to join her for lunch. Do you not find that strange and out of character?"

Mrs. Potter sighed and shook her head at her son.

"James, you're old enough to make your own decisions for yourself. Perhaps she feels guilty, or-"

"Not a chance in hell! Evans is up to something, I'm sure of it. She's planning something and I'm not about to walk into her trap and come out looking like an idiot!"

"Fine, suit yourself. But this way you won't know what it is that she wants," his Mother said returning to her newspaper once more and wearing a smug look that could rival even his trademark Potter smirk.

James narrowed his eyes and groaned loudly, running his fingers through his hair furiously.

"Bloody women!" He exclaimed standing to take his plate over to the sink.

"Oi! Watch your language, Potter," his Mother snapped, shaking her head behind the paper.

James waved a hand over his shoulder as he exited the kitchen clutching the letter in his hand, heading up the stairs to his room to inspect it further.

* * *

"Alright, have a nice time, love," Mrs. Evans said as Lily kissed her cheek and waved to her father before making her way out the front door. She got as far as the front porch when she noticed Petunia lounging on the porch swing re-reading bridal magazines.

Still feeling sore over the way she acted at dinner last night, Lily was going to ignore her until Petunia lazily looked up and called her name.

Lily sighed and turned to face her out of curiosity.

"You're spending a lot of time with that boy, you know."

She raised her eyebrows, having not expected Petunia to even bother mentioning Sirius at all.

"He's my friend."

Petunia shrugged nonchalantly.

"What about that _Snape_ from _Spinner's End_?"

The disdain in her voice couldn't have been any more obvious and Lily gritted her teeth despite herself.

"What about him?"

Petunia raised a perfectly trimmed eyebrow.

"Where is he? I hardly see him coming around here anymore."

Lily crossed her arms over her chest and failed to meet her sister's eyes.

"He hangs out with different people now," she said quietly and Petunia frowned.

"I thought you were best friends?"

Lily shrugged and turned away, making her way down the steps.

"So did I," was all she said and before she could close the front gate, Petunia leapt off the swing and leant over the rails, clutching them with her freshly manicured nails.

"You'll be careful, Lily, won't you? That boy, he… Never mind," she trailed off, and Lily turned to meet her gaze.

"Sirius is my friend, Tuney. He's okay once you get to know him," she said and Petunia shrugged.

"I just… Don't go getting into any trouble, that's all."

Lily nodded and waved goodbye, setting off down the path and Petunia watched her go with twisted lips and suspicious eyes.

* * *

Sirius sat up and stretched his arms over his head, omitting a loud yawn as he did. His eyes blinked into focus as he sat up and swung his legs around to the side of his bed, running his fingers through his hair and untangling it.

He ignored the blonde still sleeping in the bed beside him and pulled on a pair of discarded trousers and a slim t-shirt that fit him snugly. He laced up his sneakers and snatched his sunglasses from beside his bed and made his way from the room quietly, checking the time on his watch as he did.

_Excellent timing, _he thought to himself. He was due to meet Lily at the café down the road in ten minutes.

Seizing an apple from the bowl on the table, he bit into it hungrily as he shut the apartment door behind him and felt for his wand in his pocket. He flicked it at the door handle and strode away, pocketing his wand as the lock clicked loudly after him.

* * *

Lily sat at a table outside in the sun, closing her eyes and enjoying the warmth. It was a nice change to the sticky heat they had had the last week. If she hadn't heard the commotion behind her of the waitress dropping the tray of drinks then Lily wouldn't have turned around and laid eyes on Remus Lupin who was apologising profusely to the woman.

Getting to her feet, Lily strode over to the shaggy haired boy who was blushing as he helped the waitress clean up the broken china.

"Please sir, its fine," the waitress repeated over and over, however, Remus couldn't seem to help himself as he dug his hand deep into his pockets and retrieved a few silver sickles.

"That should do for the cups," he said putting the money on the counter behind her and the woman thanked him and swept to the back of the shop, stowing her wand back into her apron.

"Smooth move, Lupin," Lily said as he turned around and shoved his hands back into his pockets.

Upon hearing her address him, Remus glanced up and his eyes widened at the sight of Lily standing there before him, smirking.

"Lily… What are you doing here?"

Lily considered telling him the whole truth but she was sure that the moment she mentioned Sirius' name then Remus would back away and not speak to her afterwards. She knew from personal experience that he closed himself off from everyone at the end of last term when Sirius was brought up in conversation or somewhere nearby.

"Coffee, and you?"

Remus shrugged, smiling at her.

"I was at the bookshop and thought I'd stop here before heading home."

Lily nodded and glanced at the bag he was carrying and whistled loudly.

"Stocking up for Hogwarts already?"

Remus chuckled, lifting the bag.

"Sort of. Mostly summer reading though," he said and Lily grinned.

"Let's see then," she said as she led him over to her table and he lifted the bag and she peaked inside, pulling out a book from the top.

She ran her fingers over the front cover and looked up at him curiously.

"I thought you already owned, _Hogwarts: A History_? I borrowed it second year."

Remus shrugged.

"I did, but there was a mishap and Sirius accidentally knocked it into the fire during the post Quidditch victory party last year."

"Against Ravenclaw?"

He nodded.

"Quite the story actually, I-"

But however it went, she never found out.

Sirius was striding towards them, his hair shining dazzlingly in the sun and the dark sunglasses that were undoubtedly diminishing the brightness made Lily wonder if he was slightly hung-over. Not that it mattered.

Remus' skin suddenly turned chalk white and he turned to Lily and she passed him the book guiltily, having momentarily forgotten that Sirius was on his way to meet her.

"Remus-"

"I'll er… I'll catch up with you later," he interrupted as he put the book back into his bag and hurriedly walked away in the opposite direction without any further words of goodbye.

Lily sighed heavily as she slumped into her chair and propped her head up on her closed fist and frowned as Sirius pulled out his chair.

"What's with the long face?"

She rolled her eyes and said in an accusing tone, "you scared Remus away."

He looked over her shoulder and she saw his mouth twist.

"We can reschedule if you want to catch up to him," he said pulling off his sunglasses and she shook her head sadly.

"It's fine, I'll see him later. Late night?"

He shrugged casually.

"Marlene came over, she brought wine."

Lily raised an eyebrow inquisitively.

"Are you two a 'thing' or whatever?"

Sirius signalled the waitress over with the flick of his index finger and glanced at the redhead.

"I wouldn't say that, it's just a bit of fun."

"It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt," she replied and he snorted.

"Nobody's going to get hurt, Evans. There's no feelings involved or anything, it's just sex."

Lily frowned.

"Sex is never just _sex_."

Sirius leaned forward and raised his eyebrows, a sly smirk playing on his lips.

"How would you know?"

She blushed and was very grateful that the waitress chose that moment to turn up at their table. She ordered an iced tea.

"Coffee thanks," Sirius added and the waitress scribbled that down and left to take it back to the counter.

"Potter hasn't answered me yet," Lily said and Sirius rolled his eyes.

"Nice change of topic," he commented and when she ignored him he added, "Did you actually expect him to send an answer straight away?"

She shrugged.

"You said he'd be bouncing off the walls."

Sirius shook his head slowly and smiled.

"Evans, that was a figure of speech. He's probably thinking it over; you almost threw him off the Hogwarts Express at the end of term."

Lily winced.

"You heard about that?"

"Saw it for myself. I think nearly everyone did to be honest."

She sighed and tucked her hair behind her ear.

"I just… I want this year to be different, you know?"

Sirius shrugged and crossed his arms over the table top.

"How so?"

"We need to grow up, Sirius. This private war needs to stop; there's enough of that going on outside of Hogwarts as it is."

Sirius watched her carefully and a small smile spread across his face.

"Your call, Head Girl."

Lily nodded and looked out over the street at children scurrying past, excitedly babbling about their new owl.

"However, I won't call a truce until he returns Twitch," she said meeting his eyes and he snorted loudly, giving her a confused frown.

"What do you mean?"

She shrugged.

"He's holding my owl hostage, I'm sure of it."

Sirius chuckled as he sat back and the waitress made her way over to the table, placing their drinks in front of them.

"Here's to a boring year ahead," Sirius said raising his mug and Lily grinned.

"You're coming back then?"

He shook his head.

"Still undecided."

She sighed, raising her glass and pressing it against his.

"You suck, Black."

* * *

James was lounging on the steps to the back patio with Twitch perched on the back of the table chairs nearby. The owl appeared to be watching him, waiting for him to send it away with his reply.

He sighed as he turned away and ruffled his hair exasperatedly. Why on earth was Lily Evans, of all people, suggesting to meet up with him? _Of all people._ It was common knowledge that they didn't get along, mostly due to her stubbornness and anti-pranking attitude. (And it might possibly also have something to do with his arrogance and tendency to pull said pranks.)

"What's on your mind, son?"

James turned to see his Father walking out of the back doors with a plate of muffins. He stopped and offered the plate to Twitch whom he regarded with curiosity, as the owl picked at one of the vanilla muffins appreciatively.

Mr. Potter offered his arm to the owl who eyed him suspiciously for a moment before stepping onto it and resting on his forearm. He smiled as he made his way over with the plate and sat himself beside his son who raised his eyebrows at him inquisitively.

"Where did we find this one then? It's not injured is it?" he asked as he turned to inspect it but James stopped him by patting his shoulder.

"Its fine Dad, it's not a new addition to Mum's animal rescue crew. It belongs to someone that I go to school with," he explained as he accepted one of the muffins.

Mr. Potter nodded and stroked the owl's fluffy head affectionately.

"Nice one this is. Who does it belong to?"

"Its name is Twitch, and belongs to Lily Evans."

"Ah, Evans. The one and only?"

James shook his head and refused to meet the knowing eyes that were much like his own, hazel and spattered with flecks of green and gold.

"She invited me to lunch at the Leaky Cauldron later this week," he muttered and his Father smiled and bit into a muffin.

After swallowing, he said, "you're not planning to use her owl as blackmail, are you?" he quipped and James rolled his eyes in his direction.

"Of course not, I expect Twitch is just waiting for me to answer her."

Mr. Potter frowned, giving the owl a confused look.

"So… Why is he still here then?"

James chuckled to himself.

"_She _is still here because I'm still thinking about it."

Mr. Potter guffawed loudly, causing Twitch to hoot in fright and take off over to the bird bath in the backyard under the shade of the large tree where she dipped her beak in to drink the water in the huge bowl.

James gave his Father an incredulous look.

"What?" Mr. Potter asked, disbelief etched on his face. "You've only been mad for this girl since you were _fourteen_, James. And now you don't know if you're going to catch up for lunch with her? What's gotten into you, son?"

James sighed and turned away, picking up a stone and rubbing its edges distractedly.

"I just… I dunno, alright? The last time I checked we weren't on the best of terms. And now this just comes out of the blue? I'm not buying it."

Mr. Potter nodded thoughtfully, polishing off the rest of his muffin as he watched Twitch shake her feathers so that they made her appear puffy.

"Perhaps she had a change of heart?" he suggested finally and James just shrugged.

"Or maybe she's regretting not throwing me off the train."

Mr. Potter snorted.

"Come off it, son. That's a bit dramatic don't you think?"

"Well how do you explain the sudden letter out of nowhere?" James suddenly straightened up and glanced at his Father. "You know, I'll bet anything it's Sirius having a laugh. He's a right old prat, he is."

Mr. Potter shook his head disbelievingly.

"Now, James, I know you're having your differences, but Sirius wouldn't do that. He knows how you feel about the girl; surely you don't really think he would write you a letter under her name?"

James shrugged and threw the stone at the bark of the tree with gusto.

"I wouldn't know what to think anymore," he muttered and his Father sighed.

"It was a mistake, James. I spoke with him after it happened-"

"Mistake or not, he almost had someone killed, Dad. He almost had _Remus_ kill someone! Do you know what would have happened if-"

"If he hadn't realised what he did and came straight to you?"

James opened and closed his mouth, appearing much like a goldfish.

"I… You… Whatever! What's done is done, there's no going back from here. Remus doesn't deserve what Sirius did to him, and neither does Snape. We trusted him, Dad."

Mr. Potter shook his head sadly and pushed himself up off the step, picking up the plate as he did.

"You may feel this way now, James, but you'll work it out in the end."

James gritted his teeth and turned to glare at him.

"Yeah? Well what if I don't want to work things out? What if I don't want to be his friend anymore?"

Mr. Potter simply shrugged.

"What if Lily really did write to you, and intends to smooth things over?"

James rolled his eyes.

"That's completely off topic."

Mr. Potter ruffled the messy grey hairs on top of his head, frowning at his son in a frustrated manner.

"You can't spend your time worrying about the 'what ifs' in life, James. You'll only end up with more questions than you can handle. Sitting here thinking about it won't give you the answers you're looking for."

And with that he turned and walked back into the house, closing the door behind him with a snap.

James glared after him and pushed himself up off the patio roughly, furiously kicking stones as he stormed down onto the grass, intending to take off into the meadow behind the Potter's manor.

* * *

"Alright, so tell me this. If you and Snape had never been friends, would you have been so defensive of him?"

Lily raised an eyebrow at Sirius who was twirling his sunglasses around his fingers, watching her intently.

"About what?"

Sirius tilted his head and gave her a meaningful look and she sighed.

"I don't know, maybe. If he didn't deserve all the crap you lot gave him."

Sirius scoffed loudly.

"Excuse you, but I'll have you know that half the time it wasn't just us starting the fights. He gave as good as he got, I assure you."

Lily narrowed her eyes and sipped her iced tea.

"I'm not here to argue with you over who started what because quite frankly, I don't care."

He leaned forward and crossed his arms over the table, grinning despite her iciness.

"Would you have believed whoever came to tell you that you were a witch if you weren't friends?"

Lily laughed regardless of how she previously felt and ran her fingers through her hair before answering.

"They would have had to have showed me some pretty neat tricks before we went gallivanting off to Diagon Alley on this grand adventure."

Sirius grinned and picked at the fruit cake on his plate, eating the red cherry bits and leaving the rest.

"Alright, I've got one for you. If you hadn't got into Gryffindor, and you were placed in Slytherin instead, would you still have rebelled against your family and moved out?"

Sirius scrunched up his nose in thought for a moment before frowning at her.

"I would have had to have been a different person. I don't have the qualities of a Slytherin."

Lily cleared her throat.

"I'd say you have a few."

Sirius shrugged.

"I'm kind of ambitious, I guess-"

"I was leaning more towards the fact that you're an arsehole…"

Sirius' eyes widened playfully as he snatched a lump of his cake and tossed it, hitting her squarely on the chin.

Lily gasped loudly and retaliated by punching his upper shoulder and recoiling with a wince, shaking her fist and pouting her bottom lip.

"Not fair, I was only half kidding," she said and he waggled his finger at her.

"If I could be in any other house though, what would it be?"

Lily tilted her head and stared at him curiously, wrinkling up her face in concentration.

Sirius sighed loudly, glancing at his wrist watch.

"This isn't a test, you know," he reprimanded her, sticking his tongue out.

"Well it's just…" Lily sipped her iced tea and drummed her fingers on the glass. "I can't exactly picture you in another house. I mean, you're a Gryffindor, bold and true."

Sirius smiled.

"Thanks, Evans."

She grinned and shrugged.

"What about me? Which house would I be in?"

Sirius pretended to think and then sniggered evilly.

"Hufflepuff, for sure."

Lily crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes.

"Why?"

He shrugged.

"You're nice. Too nice, almost. A softie, if you will. And you're a duffer."

She rolled her eyes and picked up a slice of fruit cake and bit into it.

"Hufflepuff are not duffers! Besides I don't think I'm all that nice. I can be a real bitch when I'm riled up-"

"Everyone can be, I think. We've all got things that make us snap, you know?"

She nodded solemnly.

"Like Snape, right?"

Sirius shrugged.

"Like James, yeah?"

She poked her tongue out childishly.

"He can be really annoying, believe me."

"Evans, I've lived with him; I know how frustrating he can get."

They shared a smile before Sirius checked his watch for real this time and whistled.

"Shouldn't you be heading home for dinner?"

She nodded, finishing the rest of her drink and stood up, collecting her bag.

"You coming?"

He smiled and put his hands inside his pockets.

"I don't think so; I might just grab something on the way back to mine."

She picked up the last remaining slice of fruit cake and offered it to him. He stepped forward, picked out a cherry and popped it into his mouth, grinning his thanks.

Lily chuckled as she shook her head and they each made their way down the road, talking about the qualities one another had to win the Triwizard Cup.

* * *

James rolled up the parchment and beckoned to Twitch who flew over from the bird bath, hooting indignantly as she did. He tied it to her legs and scratched her head affectionately.

"Time for you to go home," he said offering his arm and Twitch climbed aboard and he walked onto the grass and sighed.

"Off you go," he said lifting his arm and Twitch hooted once more and took flight, almost hitting him in the face as she flapped her wings and soared into the night sky.

James watched her go with a sombre expression when he heard footsteps on the patio behind him.

Turning he saw his father standing there, leaning against the chair.

"Dinner's ready," he said and made to leave but James called his name.

"Listen, Dad, about earlier-"

Mr. Potter turned back and held up his hand to indicate silence.

"Don't worry about it, son. I understand that it's hard for you with Sirius, and I must admit, it's more about me being selfish. I do miss him, rather a lot. And you can deny it as much as you want, but I know that you do too."

James sighed and headed up the steps and stood in front of him, noting that he was now slightly taller than his father who was standing there staring at him defiantly.

"I do miss him, believe me. But what he did is unforgivable, and I'm sorry if that's hard for you to understand but it's just the way it is. It sucks, I know."

Mr. Potter clapped him on the shoulder and was about to respond when Mrs. Potter called out from the kitchen.

"Dinner's getting cold! James? Atticus! Where are you?"

Mr. Potter smirked and said, "Well, we'd better get in there before she comes out here and gets us herself," and together they walked into the kitchen, with James closing the door behind him and stopping only to catch a glimpse of the bright stars twinkling merrily in the dark sky outside.

* * *

Lily made her way up the front porch to find Petunia still sitting on the porch swing. It appeared she had fallen asleep and was snoring slightly.

Smiling to herself, Lily crept over to her and shook her gently.

"Tuney," she whispered and Petunia's eyes snapped open and she sat up sharply, hiding a yawn behind her hand as she did.

"What time is it?" she asked glancing up at the sky and Lily giggled.

"Time for dinner. Have you been out here all day?"

Petunia got up off the swing and Lily helped her collect up all of her magazines and together they walked inside.

"I must have just dozed off," she answered as they dropped the magazines on the couch and headed into the kitchen where their Father was setting the table and their Mother carried over some plates for him.

She smiled and kissed them each on the cheek and said, "Have a seat, dinner's almost ready."

Without another word, the girls separated and sat themselves on opposite sides of the table and Mrs. Evans turned back to the stove sadly, dabbing at her eyes with her apron.

It had been something the girls had started ever since Lily begun at Hogwarts; before then they would always sit beside each other whispering about whatever it was that little girls talked about. But it had been years since they'd ever had something to whisper about.

"How was your day, pumpkin?" Mr. Evans asked as he sat himself down at the table and glanced at his wide worriedly before turning to his youngest daughter.

Lily shrugged, passing Petunia over a plate.

"It was fine, I saw Remus as well. And then Sirius and I met up at a café and talked all afternoon."

Mr. Evans smiled.

"Sounds lovely. And did you find the perfect wedding dress, sweetheart?" he asked turning to his eldest daughter who shook her head as Lily handed her Father a plate.

"Not yet, I dozed off half-way through the pile," she said with a sheepish smile and accepted another plate from Lily and put it in their Mother's spot.

Mrs. Evans brought over a platter of vegetables and sat them in the middle of the table.

"Not to worry darling, you'll find it," she said patting Petunia's shoulder kindly and moved off to get the patties from the frying pan.

Lily's gaze went to the window, and her thoughts turned to Twitch and James Potter.

She couldn't help but wonder if James was reading the letter now, or if maybe he hadn't yet received it. She had heard from Severus that most of the Pureblood witches and wizards lived further away from Muggles, so perhaps it was taking Twitch a while to get the message to him; she'd never ventured to the Potters' before.

"Lily, did you hear your Father?" Mrs. Evans interrupted and Lily shook her head and turned to see her family watching her curiously.

"Vegetables, love?"

She nodded and smiled gratefully as he passed her the vegetables and she loaded up her plate, the thought of James Potter now flying to the back of her mind.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Just a note to say that I am a proud Hufflepuff, and if I offended anyone then I am very sorry, that wasn't my intention.**

**Thanks again for reading everyone.**

**Until next chapter,**

**LilyHeartsJames**


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